I bid you welcome...to the inaugural issue of Strahd Loves, Man Kills, a Ravenloft fanzine for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. This zine was inspired in equal parts by my enduring love of the Ravenloft setting and by the recent release of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. Keep in mind that this zine presents my own idiosyncratic vision of the setting. You will find much within these pages that diverges from the setting’s canon, but my hope is that SLMK will give you new toys to play with and inspire your own unique take on Ravenloft.
The first issue contains the following features:
- Lurid Locations. This feature is dedicated to new and revised areas of the Ravenloft setting. In this installment, I present Strega Hollow and the mysterious and miraculous wilds of the Wychbog.
- Baleful Backgrounds. This feature presents three new backgrounds for characters: country squire, cultist, and cut-wife.
- Seeds of Evil. This feature details an adventure seed you can use to craft a scenario set in Ravenloft. This issue’s installment, entitled “The Thing in Elbert’s Parlor,” posits a visit to an uncle who has just added a mummy to his collection of antiquarian artifacts.
- Cryptic Alliances. This feature adds additional secret societies and factions to Ravenloft. In this installment, I detail the Cult of the Rotmaiden, a circle of druids devoted to Zuggtmoy.
- Tragic Heroes. This features give advice on creating characters who fit Ravenloft’s horrific mood. This installment focuses on troubled troubadours.
- Random Ruin. This feature presents a random table to enrich your game. This installment is a table meant to generate a grandiose title for your campaign arc.
- Forbidden Tomes. This feature presents a bibliography of a particular genre of horror for your edification and entertainment. This installment explores folk horror.
This is a fanzine in the truest sense: it is a labor of love crafted in the DIY style. If you're a Ravenloft fan you might not want to miss this one. If you missed the link to the Big Cartel page, here it is again.
